New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-01
THE COLEORTON LETTERS.
POETS IN CORRESPONDENCE.


with Intrsduetion and Notes. BY WILLIAM KNIGHT
Univsrsity Of A. Andrews I've volumes 12.o
PIP XVII. 227. 29i: Hoaghton. Mihin d Co.
Sir George Beaumont. to whom and to whose wife
these letters written, was 4 gentleman o.
wealth aid OF considerable talent and judgment II
literary and art matters. lie was indeed regarded
by many of his contemporaries painter of 81
much skill that he would have made reputation
had he been other than amateur. 1t is. how
ever not improbable that his method OF COMPOSE
ton would have been less approximately the public
than by the friends who surrounded him. 1t was h'i
practice painting landscapes to rearrange all the
features In the interest of unity OF composition
and so far did he carry this principle that where
as he painted many pictures of particular places
and named them after those places. no one was
ever able to recognize In the paintings the ieas'
resemblance to the localities they were supposed 10
represent or recall His work however, was IN
constant demand among wide circle OF adinirihe
friends, aud if By his own methods he DID
little to advance art there can be no question ms
10 the importance of the aid he rendered to the
agriculture of his countrymcn by his magnhcent
gift of masterpieces to the National Gallery.
Sir George was much more than an amateur
painter. He q man OF the worid, u liperai
patron of the arts a hospitable host. warm ana
faithful friend. He was sngularly amiable IN
character of charming manners. and one who both
invited aud repaid confidence. In these handsome
volumes we see him only as reflected In the cor
respondence of his trends. but the letters show In
what high estimation he was held. and how con-
slant his friendships The editor. Mr.. Knight,
has written preface which sufficiently elucidates
the genial relations which existed between tins
Macauas and Coleridge. Wordsworth and Southey'
but il cannot be SAID that the notes which are
scattered through the volumes leave pothlng TO be
desired. In a publication which from tho very
nature of it excludes the whole of one side ofthe
discussions introduced, there must always be es-
pccial need for current comment clearing up WHAT
else will remain obscure and supplying far as is
necessary to clear understanding OF the text, the
gaps left by the absence of all the letters of " the
party of the other part" Lacking such expository
notes much of the interest must be destroyed 10!
the average reader. At every page he hnds allu-
to affairs and controversies and criticisms con-
corning which no explanation is given, and IT Is no
wonder if finally he becomes confused and lmpa-
tent 1t may in fact be asserted with confidence
that had Mr.. Knight extended bis notes to two or
three times their present mass he would have added
greatly to the general interest and value OF his
publication
The letters here published are for the most part
concerned with topics of Indifferent consequence
Tley contain very little incident, not much
de- criptlon and a great deal of matter OF purely
local and ephemeral interest We can easily I'M
dcrstand that they might be found disappointing
and dull by many readers. But to all who are
familiar with the stories of the three remarkable
men of letters who contribute them they Will be
weicome for he strong light they throw upon the
characters of the writer's. Had no other records
of Colerdge Wordsworth and Southey indeed
o psychological pal3Ontologst might with these
fragments do for them what Professor Owen dd
for no pY
as from a single bone. The correspondence of
Colerid.e is the most irregular, as was to be
pected The period covered includes his Journey TO
Malta and Rome, and we know that during tins
absence OF some two years tho opium habit was
fatally fixed upon him. For long time after he
went abroad nothing heard of him. Then
report came that he had accepted the position
of private secretary to Sir Alexander Ball. Cover
nor of Malta Then it rumOrod that he had
gone to Rome under an assumed name, because of
the French dominion IN Italy. He returned at last
in worse health than when he went away, but lie
rallied went to work, projected and published
The Friend" carried 1t through twenty seven
numbers, dropped it, plunged into dozen other
new undertakings, began several literary works.
and all this time kept his friends in perpetual anx-
iety and apprehension because of his increasing IN
frmities and the dangerous extent of his recourse
TO stimulants. 1t is but seldom in these letters
that he :" let's himself 90 -: but once or twice he
does, and then he flows on In that wonderful
eloquent dlscursveness which made his mon
ologues famous. Colcridges defect in
voltOnal power. lie had great absorption and re-
tention, nut the executive faculty in allegiance
Thus II was that much of his intellectual per-
formances found range and limit in conversation.
1t was 50 much for him talk than to write
The concentration necessary to literary compost
tion was repug0ant TO his mental habits. He would
willingly SIT up all night and pour out ceaseess
stream of wisdom and Imagination. of vague,
philosophy and clear literary thought, but it was
always painful to him to spend a couple Of hours
at his desk. No perceived his faults more
clearly than himself, and these letters he is
stsntly regretting them, abaslng himself and max
ing good resolutions; Of course to be forgotten
almost as soon as formed In the last part of his
life. during his residence with Gilman, he seems
to have ceased his correspondence, at all events
with Coeorton. and he passes once more into the
silence
Wordsworth writes often. and at length. and with
a certain staldness and soemnity which never per
mits us TO forget how very much he thought of
himself. 1t has been said that men of genius have
q right to esteem themselves Tho saying hardly
deserves place in the Wisdom of Solomon. Van
ity and self-conceit are unfortunately possessions
common to the race, and certainly it cannot be
lald down as working prlnclple that the men
who have least hesitation Ia avowing their good
opinion of themselves are therefore men Of genius
Wordsworth hnever had any doubt on this head, and
therefore. no doubt, he was happy. Adverse criti-
cism-of which he surely had enough AMI to spare
seems TO have glanced harmless from MS armor
of proof At least he says so, though waen poets
affects the Hottest for their dcracors it is
not always safe to take them literally. These vol
umes furnish delightful Illustration of the
Poet of Rydal Mounts self-estimate. lie writes to
Lady Beaumont apropos Of the attacks upon his last
published poems. He is anxious that she should
not take to heart these attacks, aud to comfort
her he lays bare bis own heart. lie says LIE never
expected any other reception for his poems, for
to the public, when not controlled by malice, II IS
estopped by pure absolute hcucst ignorance